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Slap That Bass! The art of slapping the double bass is an innovation made in New Orleans. Bass players started to slap and pluck their basses in order to give the music a jazz feeling. Slap style bass can be traced down to be an accepted style of playing jazz in New Orleans in 1918. Apart from jazz and swing the new rhythmic way of playing found its way to many different styles of music. By the middle of the century it had diffused for instance into country, bluegrass, Caribbean and Guatemalan marimba bands. In the mid 1950's slap style had an important role in the development of rock'n'roll music. In many cases it was slap bass that gave the rock'n'roll music a primitive beat and a strong rhythm. Nowadays slap bass is mostly used in various types of roots music. "If you want to bubble, slap that bass Slap away your trouble, slap that bass!" - Ira Gershwin

Pioneers of slap bass tradition Before the mid 1920's recording technique couldn't pick up the low bass sounds. After inventing the electretic microphone the bass could also been heard in the recordings. Some pioneers in the art of slapping the double bass: Wellman Braud (1891-1967) played with Duke Ellington important popularizer of the slap style George "Pops" Foster (1892-1969) played with Luis Russell and Louis Armstrong kept the tradition of slap bass solos alive into the late '60s

John Lindsay (1894-1950) George "Pops" Foster - the legend toured with Louis Armstrong in slap bass tradition 1931-32 played on the classic Chicago 1926 Jelly Roll Morton Red Hot Peppers records member in Harlem Hamfats

of

Steve Brown (c. 1890-1965) member in New Orleans Rhythm Kings in the early 1920's played in Jean Goldkette Orchestra Al Morgan (1908-1974) recorded with Fats Waller in 1929 played in Cab Calloway's Orchestra in the early 30's

Later Jazz Generations After the pioneers in slap bass the following jazz player generations didn't use much slapping. Slap style became quite rare but is still being used in bands that play New Orleans jazz. Milt Hinton (1910-2000) played in Cab Calloway's Orchestra worked with many artists Jimmy Blanton(1918-1942)

played with Duke Ellington revolutionized the bass playing Charles Mingus (1922-1979) bass player and pianist composer, who allowed plenty of room to musicians own ideas Milt Hinton

Oscar Pettiford (1922-1960) played with Duke Ellington first major jazz soloist in cello Ray Brown (1926-2002) played with Dizzy Gillespie member in Oscar Peterson Trio

Blues players

In blues music it is possible to find some amazing slap bass. There are interesting solos as well as good primitive sounds. Ernst "Big" Crawford played with Muddy Waters interesting slap bass for instance in a song: I Can't Be Satisfied

Willie Dixon (1915-1992)

Willie Dixon

bassist, singer, songwriter, producer member in Big Three Trio, with which he plays interesting slap bass solos interesting slap bass for instance in songs: Big 3 Stomp, Hard Notch Boogie Beat, 88 Boogie, Big 3 Boogie

Revolution of Rock'n'Roll In the mid 1950's slap style had an important role in the development of rock'n'roll music. In many cases it was slap bass that gave the rock'n'roll music a primitive beat and a strong rhythm. Marshall Lytle played in Bill Haley and the Comets Bill Haley and the Comets had a very distinctive slap bass sound. Bill Black played with Elvis Presley Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley and Bill Elvis Presley started his career Black - The Blue Moon Boys without drums, in his early recordings it was slap bass that provides the strong primitive beat.

More Information Article on early slap bass players: Slap That Bass - New Orleans String Bass Pioneers www.geocities.com/infrogmation/NewBass.html www.rockabillybass.com www.gollihur.com/kkbass/basslink.html The Red Hot Jazz Archive - History of jazz before 1930 www.redhotjazz.com www.allmusic.com An article in Bassplayer magazine about Marshall Lytle http://archive.bassplayer.com/z2001/0109/lytl e.shtml

Updated 2005-03-11 Slap Media